cooper



No. 6l7,876. Patenied Ian. l7, I899.

- c. COOPER.

HARNESS SADDLETREE.

(Application filed Sept. 14. 1898.)

(No Model.)

. 110 all tohom-itjmay concern.-

K TE STATES CHARLES J. COOPER, or MOLINE, ILLDIOIS,'A$SIGNORTO EVELYN T. COOPER, OF SAME PLAQE;

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Application filed September 14, 1898. Serial No. 690,9ii9, (Ho model.)

i sit known that I, CHARLES J. Coorsa,

v :or Moline, inthe county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Saddletrees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness-saddletrees and is in the nature of an improvement provide an improved construction ofthe pivotal connection between the yoke and the jockey-plates, whereby a more eflicient limitation of the fiexion at the pivotal connection between these parts may be obtained,

while at the same time the tree willpresent a flush and smeotli upper surface free from projections and of greater strength.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features which I will now proceed to describe and. will then particularly point through the body of the yoke, thereby formout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a harness-saddle embodying my invention one side of the tree hein g shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are perspective views of the adjacent ends of the yoke and jockeyplate and of the intermediate connectingplate, the parts being somewhat separated to better illustrate the construction.

In the said drawings, 10 represents the yoke of the tree, which is of any approved construction. This yoke terminates atits ends in a plane surface at right angles to the body of the yoke, it being centrally rabbeted or cut away to form a recess 12, extending inward iroui'the terminal surface and downward ing an aperture 13 at the bottom of the recess 12, which aperture is closed or defined at its front by the cross-bar 14, which serves asa pintle for the hinge counectiomwhile the terminal surfaces at each side of the recess 12 form shoulders 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

16 indicates the connecting-plate, which is provided with a flat body portion having an aperture 17 for the passage of the ten-ct shank and a projecting tongue 18, which extends in th'lplaneof the body of the plate for some distance and then downward and away from the said body portion, forming a hooked end 19. 18 is provided with a groove or recess 20,

which fits over the cross-barll, while the.

hooked end 19 is adapted to extend through the aperture 13, and the body portion is adapted to .fit the recess 12, lying therein flush with the upper or outer surface of the yoke. It'will be understood, of course, that two of these connecting-plates are employed, one at each end of the yoke.

- The jockey-plates areindicated at 21, each plate being rabbeted at its upper end, as indicated at 22, to receive the lower end of the yoke, which fits thereon and lies in said rabbet with its upper surface flush with the up per surface of the jockey-plate. The body of each plate is recessed, as shown at 23, back of or below the rabbet 22, said recess being adapted to receive the body portion of the conneeting-plate 16, which fits therein and lies flush with the surfaces of the yoke and of the jockey-plate, so that the top of the tree is a smooth uninterrupted surface without projections of any kind. Between the rabbet 22 and recess 23 is formed agroove 21 On its under side the tongue the ends of the body portion of the jockeyplate extending above said groove and lying on each side of the recess 23 form shoulders 25, having plane surfaces at right angles to the body of the plate and parallel with and adapted to abut sqn rely against the similar Each jockey-plate.

a screw, which serves to aid in sccuringthe,

jockey-plate to the saddle.

The parts are assembled in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the hooked end 19 of the plate 18 of the connecting-plate passing through theapertures 12 and 26 and the cross-bar 14: being held in the grooves 20 and 21 between the connecting-plate and jockey-plate. The several parts are secured in this position by means of the turret, which passes downward through the apertures 17- to receive the cross-bar 14: of the yoke, and v and 27am] clamps the connecting-plate and jockey-plate firmly to the saddle; Vhen the parts are thus assembled, it will be seen that a limited amount of flexion is permitted by the movement of the connecting and jockey plates around the crossbar 14 as a pivot, but that this movement is limited by the meeting of the abutting shoulders 15 and 25 on the yoke and jockey-plates, respectively. These shoulders are formed upon the larger and stronger members of the tree instead of upon the connecting-plate, as in my prior patent, hereinbcfore referred to, and the structure is thus made stronger and. better adapted to resist wear. It will also be obvious that the smooth upper surface of the entire tree at the point where the connections between the yoke and joekey plates are made is ad vantageous in that it presents no projections which are liable to becntangled or broken and gives the tree a better finish.

I claim-- I 1. In a harness-saddletrce, the combination, with a yoke having at its end an apertu re and cross-bar and stop-shoulders located on each side of said aperture, of a jockeyplate rabbeted to receive the end of the yoke and having stop-shoulders to abut against those of the yoke and an aperture, and a connecting-plate having a body portion adapted to be secured to the jockey-plate and a hooked end passing over the cross-bar and through the apertures in the yoke and jockey-plate, substantially as described.

2. In a harness-saddletree, the combination, provided with an aperture and cross-bar, with stop-shoulders located on each side of said aperture, of ajockey-plate rabbeted to receive the end of the yoke, provided with an aperture and having a recess for the connectingplate and stop-shoulders to abut against those of yoke, and a connecting plate having a body portion adapted to fit within the recess in the jockey-plate and be secured therein and having a tongue adapted to fit Within the recess of the yoke and provided with a hooked end to pass over the cross-bar and through 35 with a yoke having at its end a recess the apertures in the yoke and jockey-plate,

said yoke and plates havinga fi ush or continuous nppersurfaee, substantially as described.

CHARLES J. COOPER.

\Vitnesses:

FREDERICK U. Goonwm, IRVINE ll/IILLEl-t. 

